Terry Gilliam is perhaps one of the most unique and eccentric filmmakers, with a legacy of over 40 years. Gilliam is probably best known for being a member of the British comedy troupe, Monty Python, despite being an American. He got his first directing job on 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail, co-directing with fellow Python Terry Jones. After his first solo directing effort, 1977’s Jabberwocky, the Monty Python group began to gradually dissipate between 1979 and 1983. Despite this, the Pythons made two more films, 1979’s Life of Brian and 1983’s The Meaning of Life. In between these two films, Gilliam had his first hit solo film, 1981’s Time Bandits, both critically and commercially successful. Thanks to its success, Gilliam decided to continue what he called his “Trilogy of Imagination” with a very ambitious project. 1985 saw the release of the ambitious yet troubled film, Brazil.
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Brazil takes place in a dystopian future where bureaucracy reigns and nothing can be done without the proper paperwork. Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is a low-level government employee who turns down promotions despite clearly being smarter than his boss. He frequently has dreams of being an angelic warrior on a quest to rescue a fair maiden despite the obstacles. Due to a mistake, a man is wrongfully convicted, and Sam has to visit the widow to deliver a check. While there, he runs into Jill Layton (Kim Greist), who resembles the woman in his dream, and tries pursuing her. At the same time, the government is looking for an alleged terrorist named Archibald Tuttle (Robert De Niro). Through a series of events, Jill is labeled an accomplice of Tuttle’s, and Sam tries to protect her. With the bureaucratic system after them, Sam and Jill fight to be together.
This is one of those movies that’s already been talked about so many times, it’s hard to say anything new. Still, Brazil is a fantastic film that deserves to be talked about more and is highly underrated and underappreciated. Jonathan Pryce is perfectly cast as an everyman unsure of what he wants and is clearly frustrated by this society. Kim Greist perfectly embodies a sense of rebellion against such a bureaucratic society, and she has great chemistry with Pryce. While I only mentioned some of the cast, that isn’t to say anything bad about the supporting players. Michael Palin, who plays Lowry’s old friend Jack Lint, is charming and likable, yet has a strangely sinister quality. Katherine Helmond has fun moments as the oblivious and obsessed mother, and Jim Broadbent works well as her surgeon lover. Also noteworthy are De Niro, Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm, Ian Richardson, and Peter Vaughan.
But what truly makes this movie special is its filmmaking style and its story of struggling to maintain one’s humanity. The dream sequences are beautifully shot and have a very imaginative feel, perfectly contrasting with the real world’s drabness. The rest of the visuals are intentionally garish and give off the feel of a world that feels manufactured. While the movie has some great sight gags and moments of dark humor, the film eventually gets depressing and hopeless. I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s a real gut punch for anyone hoping that everything works out fine. The ultimate message to take away from this is the danger of a society dominated by routines and subjugating people. It’s a simultaneously funny and terrifying story of trying to break the status quo, but ultimately failing to change anything. Overall, Brazil is easily Terry Gilliam’s masterpiece and gets a high recommendation.
